We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Samantha Maree a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha Maree, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

For as long as I can remember, being in charge of my own classroom was my biggest dream, and drawing and painting were simply my therapy. I spent some of my free time drawing, not because I wanted to make money off of it but because it made me feel good. It brought me a sense of peace.

Looking back, I can recall a couple of times where I was fully aware of my talents and ability to draw from observation, including a drawing of birds I completed in the fifth grade and the cartoon characters my peers would ask me to draw on the backs of their field day t-shirts in middle school. Even after all of that, I didn’t take the time to fully nurture it in ways that indicated art would be a part of my future.

And then I took my first art class since the 6th grade at Georgia State University. At the time, I had just switched my major from Early Childhood Education to Interior Design, and I was required to take several entry level art classes as prerequisites into the program. It gave me a brand new level of confidence. I remember thinking “Oh, man…I’m pretty good at this!” I would show off my work to my friends with pride, even though I knew my work wasn’t nearly as strong as some of the other students in my program. But at this point, I was curious to see just how much I could grow with the proper training.

I eventually combined my two passions of art and teaching, finally settling on pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education. From there, my requirement for art classes grew and so did my passion and skillset. Fast forward to a couple of years later, and I was being asked to commission a few pieces from friends and people in their networks.

I thank God daily for this talent…it still amazes me daily! It has been a truly rewarding piece of my life to find something I enjoy and devote my time developing it further as well as sharing it with others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Samantha Maree, Owner/Founder of Samantha Maree Gallery & Studios, LLC (formerly Special Made Creations by Samantha Maree). I was inspired by my mother who had her own creative business for much of my childhood, and I began creating at an early age, organically following in her footsteps.

I have thoroughly enjoyed building an art business completely from scratch. I was asked to complete my first commission sometime around 2012-2013, and from there I was asked to host mobile paint parties for an acquaintance’s new business venture. I had NO CLUE just how big the mobile paint parties would become, but I rode the wave for a couple of years to further build my business, providing my services first to friends and coworkers and then to anyone they referred.

When I had my son, I slowly transitioned out of the mobile paint party industry and began to offer commissioned pieces, abstract paintings, and residential wall murals, which allowed me to work from home and still be a present mother for my son. I use my background and love for creating therapeutic environments to create works of art that enhance both residential and commercial spaces. My original paintings, prints, and small gifts are for sale on the website at www.samanthamaree.com.

I am most proud of my ability to balance being a full-time working mother while also maintaining my business from a place of purpose and not hustle. I’ve learned to realize the fact that life can be so full when you operate from that space instead of from a space of need. I let it flow. Simply put, I work for God. I realize this talent comes from God, and therefore, so do the connections. Having the ability to do meaningful work in this world and to allow it to come directly from my core is unmatched. I trace everything back to Him and His purpose, and I am beyond honored to be able to share this gift with you!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission has always been the same: to let God use me and the gifts that He gave me. I never know what client is going to ask me to create a painting for them, the conversations we’ll have in the process of creating it, or even what the finished product will mean to them. I just know that I get to use these hands, this heart, and this mind to create something unique and special, leaving my clients feeling like their lives got touched because of it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The absolute most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is that I get to just be ME! I didn’t choose this talent, it chose me, and I’m so grateful to have something I can share with this world to make it that much more beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samanthamaree.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovesamanthamaree
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthamaree